The mousse cakes are one of my favorite desserts as they are light, fluffy, delicious…a pleasure in the mouth.

Recently i made this delicious mousse cake composed by a light french vanilla genoise, Valhrona( chocolate mousse, raspberry insert and chocolate mirror glaze). it was exactly how i wanted..sweet but not to sweet, fruity, and airy….

The mousse was a bavaroise recipe, the insert is a light raspberries jelly and the genoise is the simple french recipe (120 gr EGGS ,120 gr sugar, 120 gr flour and 5 grams vanilla).

Hope you all enjoy making mousse cakes, I will love to have some feed back and to see some of your creations.

Kisses to all

]]>https://simohealthyfood.wordpress.com/2017/05/01/dome-au-chocolat-chocolate-mousse-mini-cakes/feed/0simonaboca17634486_1275462532552141_6511097834194855065_nLemon flavored Turkish delights or lokum (rahat)https://simohealthyfood.wordpress.com/2017/04/25/lemon-flavored-turkish-delights-or-lokum-rahat/
https://simohealthyfood.wordpress.com/2017/04/25/lemon-flavored-turkish-delights-or-lokum-rahat/#respondTue, 25 Apr 2017 04:33:49 +0000http://simohealthyfood.wordpress.com/?p=2126Continue reading Lemon flavored Turkish delights or lokum (rahat)]]>Well well , another passion of mine is to do confectioneries and..jams! yes right i love making jam and bonbons:)! My friend Pauline gave me a lovely confectionery book so I am starting slowly my project of making those recipes.

Some weeks ago I have tried to make some caramels but they haven’t turned out as desired. ..

The second attempt were some delicious lemon Turkish delights. They turn out great..maybe a bit to soft as i didn’t let them boil enough:)) Always in a rush but they are well delightful!

For 30 pieces you need:

50 gr icing sugar

85 gr cornflour

470 ml water

400 gr granulated sugar

2 teaspoon each lemon juice and lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon orange blossom water (i substituted with some vanilla as i had no blossom water)

1 drop yellow food coloring

Directions:

Heat 200 gr water, the granulated sugar, lemon juice and zest in a pan stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Insert the sugar thermometer and cool until the sugar syrup reaches 120° C.

Meanwhile pour the remaining water into another saucepan, add the remaining cornflour and the cream of tartar and stir together. Place over medium heat and bring to boil, stirring until thick and smooth.

Once the syrup has reached the correct temperature, remove from heat and slowly ass the syrup a little at a time into the cornflour mixture, whisking constantly until combined. Return it to the heat and gently simmer for 30-35 min. The mixture will turn a very light amber color and thicken. Stir in the orange blossom (vanilla) and the food coloring and simmer for further 5 minutes.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top. Cover with plastic wrap and set overnight.

Once cold peel the plastic (and reuse it next time, don’t trow it away!!We know what plastic can do to the earth!!so save as much as you can). Turn over onto baking paper, peel off the other plastic (save and reuse) and dust with the icing sugar mixture? cut into small squares and roll into more icing sugar mixture. Leave to dry overnight. store in a container for up to 2 weeks!

Enjoy!

]]>https://simohealthyfood.wordpress.com/2017/04/25/lemon-flavored-turkish-delights-or-lokum-rahat/feed/0simonaboca18121805_1298443660254028_3026424484419465643_oBack to black…with a new gluten free chocolate cakehttps://simohealthyfood.wordpress.com/2017/04/25/back-to-black-with-a-new-gluten-free-chocolate-cake/
https://simohealthyfood.wordpress.com/2017/04/25/back-to-black-with-a-new-gluten-free-chocolate-cake/#respondTue, 25 Apr 2017 04:05:46 +0000http://simohealthyfood.wordpress.com/?p=2122Continue reading Back to black…with a new gluten free chocolate cake]]>Oh Gosh there is so long since I haven’t update my blog…but there is a important reason(or at least a reason why:p)

So many things happened since then..First I found a job here in Perth..whohooo..pastry chef in one of most famous high tea salon in the city An interesting job and very exciting..at the beginning i was in the heaven..Now, as every job after a wile, start to be tiring and repetitive…but we go further..at least for a wile.

Another important thing is that I will be a mum. Oh yes this is the most exciting thing! I will have a baby in 4 months and half…a baby not planned but so desired!!! where the time passed!!?? Is crazy and this make me go on, and continue believing in me an my capacities!! And do something for me and my future…So many ideas in my had which i have to get together.

And also I decided to start to follow some interior design/decorating classes! That’s super cool. I might find myself amazed about this domain and maybe I can collaborate with my partner and do something together as he is a carpenter and furniture designer.

So you see my dear readers there are so many things happening..And many more things. But let’s start sharing you some pastry recipes…that is why you are here right? As many of us start to be more and more sensitive to the gluten, I have started to do more gluten free recipes. One that everyone liked is a flour-less almond meal chocolate cake. A “delice”!

Rich almond and roasted torte:

For a 10 inch cake you need:

3/4 cups unsalted butter, diced, plus more for greasing1 &

6 1/2 ounces dark chocolate broken into pieces

3/4 cup superfine sugar

1 cup coarsely ground roasted almonds

1/2 cup chopped roasted almonds

For the icing:

7 tablespoons heavy cream

5 1/2 ounces dark chocolate , broken into small pieces

Vienna almonds to decorate ( sugar coated almonds)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 170° C. Cut a piece of parchment paper to line a 10 inch cake pan.grease with butter and reserve.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a bowl over barely simmering water. While they are melting cream the egg yolks ad sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk until pale and light. Continuing to whisk add the melted chocolate and butter. stop the machine , remove the whisk and fold in the almond meal and almond whith a metal spoon.

In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Throw a spoonful into the chocolate mixture and stir in to lighten it before folding in the rest.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 20 min. Turn down the temperature to 150°C an bake for another 40 min.

Remove and allow to cool in the pan , until cold. Remove from thin.

Make the frosting by bringing the cream to a boil in a small pan. Add the chocolate and remove from heat, rapidly beating the chocolate in with the wooden spoon as it melts. Ice the top of the cake and decorate with vienna almonds.

Allow to set before cutting. Is delicious served in the afternoon with a cup of rose tea!

Just roll out the pastry sheet, pour a thick layer of cream, sprinkle the chips and roll it. Cut 3 cm large rolls and place them in a tray with baking paper.

Wash them with some egg and bake them at 180°C fro 15 to 20 min.

Let them cool down and drizzle some icing with the help of a small pipping bag.

Enjoy with your tea or coffee.

]]>https://simohealthyfood.wordpress.com/2016/07/11/vanilla-cream-and-chocolate-chips-sweet-roll/feed/013615031_968127409952323_6163653046129888898_nsimonabocaChoux sur “leur nuage”https://simohealthyfood.wordpress.com/2016/07/10/choux-sur-leur-nuage/
https://simohealthyfood.wordpress.com/2016/07/10/choux-sur-leur-nuage/#respondSun, 10 Jul 2016 10:49:03 +0000http://simohealthyfood.wordpress.com/?p=2080Continue reading Choux sur “leur nuage”]]>Choux a la creme or so called by English people profiteroles, is one of the best French dessert. The combination of textures between the dough and the cream is lovely. I reconstruct them in this delicious cake, composed by a rectangular puff pastry, decorated with home made soft chocolate ganache and whipped cream. They were filled with chocolate ganache for delighting all chocolate lovers!

My airy Italian Meringue Macarons are filled with flavored buttercream, chocolate ganache, lemon curd, fruits mousse or jam. These are classic French Macarons perfect small treats for any occasion or an afternoon coffee /tea!

Macarons will always be a trend so I will never stop loving to make them. They delicate look and flavor make them perfect for an afternoon coffee, a high-tea or an any time treat.

I found my perfect recipe for the Italian meringue type macarons.

Let’s get started:

For around 25 macarons (50 small shells) you need:

100 gr almond meal

100 gr icing sugar

2 x 40 gr egg white (about 2 large eggs)

100 gr caster sugar

38 gr water

pink food coloring (powder)

You can find the way of preparing Italian meringue macarons macarons on my blog.

For the white-raspberries ganache:

125 pouring cream (hot)

100 gr white chocolate melted

50-100 gr raspberries jam or coulis

Pour the hot cream on the chocolate and let it cool in the refrigerator overnight. Next day , whisk the cream-chocolate and the raspberries preserve a kitchen robot until is whipped . Fill your macaron shells. Keep them in the refrigerator for at least 24 h before you serve them.

Result: Beautiful macarons, delicate and moist inside.

Enjoy!

]]>https://simohealthyfood.wordpress.com/2016/06/25/white-chocolate-raspberries-ganache-macarons/feed/013510872_959558750809189_6441503129876817820_nsimonaboca13439121_959558734142524_3784343913475908175_n13494781_959558714142526_6370442785193984128_nFrench style “piece monte”https://simohealthyfood.wordpress.com/2016/06/21/french-style-piece-monte/
https://simohealthyfood.wordpress.com/2016/06/21/french-style-piece-monte/#commentsTue, 21 Jun 2016 05:23:34 +0000http://simohealthyfood.wordpress.com/?p=1890Continue reading French style “piece monte”]]>For the 5th anniversary of my friend’s son I had to make a Saint Honore….well things didn’t worked as i wished but in the end everything was fine..no stress, no panique and I realized a nice piece monte composed by a round puff pastry, choux filled with vanilla pastry cream and caramel! all made with love and passion. All home-made.

First step: the preparation of the puff pastry. This consist from folding 6 times (or 3 times double folding) your pastry to get nice layers. You must let the pastry to rest for minimum 30 minutes before each folding.

Here are some photos with the steps:

First prepare a dough with flour, salt , water and a bit of butter.

Then let this dough to rest for an hour in the refrigerator together with the butter and start the folding process by placing the square of butter on the square of pastry.

Fold to obtain a pocket, enclosing the butter.

Now you start rolling and folding.

Roll the pastry as long as you can to reach around 2 mm thickness and then fold the pastry from each side to the middle and then in half to obtain 4 layers pastry. Refrigerate for 30 hour (or more if you want, you can go shopping, dancing whatever). Then repeat this process tree times to obtain a so called ” 3 times double folding”. This gives you those nice hundreds layers.

Now you can roll out and cut your pastry as big as you need (mine as 24 cm diameter).

Bring to boil milk and vanilla in a pan. In a bowl whisk the eggs, sugar and corn flour. Pour the liquid on eggs whisking vigorously and then heat this continuing mixing until you obtain a thick cream. Transfer it in a bowl, let to chill a bit and then add the butter whisking. Film it to contact with a wrapping foil to not let the cream dry.

Bring to boil water, milk, sugar,s alt, butter. Then add flour from once and whisk with a wooden spoon. Replace the pan on the gas continuing mixing until the pastry detach from the pan. Transfer it in a kitchen robot whisk with the paddle attachement to chill the pastry and then add eggs one by one until you obtain a nice shiny pastry not to liquid and not to hard.

Brush them with some egg .Sprinkle some icing sugar (this will keep them round)

Now the tricky way!! THE Baking!

Tips: Pre-heat your oven 250° C. Put the choux inside for 2 min and then turn the oven off (no not open oven door). Let the there for 14min. Re-warm the oven at 160°C and bake them for another 14 min. Take them out and let them cool down on a rack until you fill them with the cream.

Now you are ready to “construct your cake, sticking the choux to the puff pastry with hot caramel made from water, glucose and water. Watch out your fingers:)